Witness To An Execution
by autumnrose2010
Summary: Thomas Culpepper had violated her and murdered her husband. Now she had come to watch him die.
1. The Execution

The waiting crowd jeered as the condemned man was led up onto the scaffold. She recognized him right away. She would never forget those cold, blue eyes. She had seen them many times in her nightmares since that fateful day.

It had started out normally enough. Her husband had left for the fair, kissing her good-bye and promising to be back soon. She had been just going about her normal business when he and his friends had come riding along all high and mighty on their horses. She had greeted them in a friendly manner and had at first been puzzled when he had asked if there were any children around. To her horror, she had soon learned the reason he had asked.

She had tried to run away, but it had been of no use. There were three of them and only one of her. His friends had held her down while he had had his way with her.

Her husband had come home to find her broken and sobbing inconsolably. She had been able to calm down enough to tell him what had happened. He had done his best to comfort her, then left to confront the brutes. It had been the last time she had ever seen him.

Much later she had learned that her husband had been found dead, stabbed to death by the man he had gone to confront. Now she had the grief of widowhood to add to the grief of violation. Grief upon grief.

Now he stood before the block, facing the sea of onlookers. She looked straight at him, her hand upon her rounded abdomen. His eyes met hers, then drifted downward. He gasped with surprise, for of course he hadn't realized that he had left a part of himself inside her that day.

She watched calmly, without passion, as he knelt before the block. It was not for the crimes against herself and her husband that he was to meet his fate that day; oh, no. The King had overlooked that. She and her husband had been but common people, peasants. Yet afterwards, Thomas Culpepper had gone too far; he had dared to bed the wife of the King, Katherine Howard. It was for that that he was to die.

She watched as the axe hovered over Thomas' neck, watched the headsman draw it back and then aim straight and sure. Thomas' head was off with one stroke. It was probably a quicker and more painless death than her husband's had been. The headsman held the head up and the crowd cheered. She felt the babe inside her stir, as if it intuitively knew what had just happened to its father.

"Don't be sad, little one," she whispered. "You may have no father but you will be loved nonetheless." As she turned to walk home, she felt a deep peace settle over her heart. It was finally over.


	2. Sarah

She was working alone in the field when she felt the first pain, a sharp tightening across her abdomen like that of a tightly clenched fist. She had been through this before so she knew what it was. Panic overtook her as she looked around in desperation. There was no time to run to the nearest neighbor. If only her husband had still been there, she could have sent him to fetch the midwife...if only...

Swallowing the sorrow that still overtook her frequently and forcing herself to be calm, she somehow made it back to the house, where she gathered the necessary supplies and then lay down to gather her strength before the time came to start pushing.

Hour by hour she lay there, panting and blowing through the pains, dozing lightly between them, until the pains began to come close enough together to make dozing impossible. She thought about the last time she had been through this, how her dear husband had been there with her, encouraging her. How she missed him! But she couldn't afford to give herself time to grieve right now, not when she had a job to do.

When the time came to push, she got up on her haunches on the bed. She knew that that was the easiest way to give birth, to let gravity do part of the work.

The delivery itself was quite easy. A few mighty pushes and the child slid from her body.

She sat back and looked at the infant. It was a girl.

A girl! Tears came to her eyes as she remembered her previous delivery. How quickly she had grown from infant to toddler, from toddler to child. The sound of her laughter rang across the field, the light in her eyes that had been snuffed out too soon, far too soon.

This new life reminded her so very much of that precious one, although of course it had come from a different father, conceived in violence rather than love. Yet the child itself was innocent, as much so as any newborn. As she looked down upon her new daughter, she felt an overwhelming love. Tenderly she cleaned the baby, wrapped her in a blanket, held her close. The newborn, whose weak cry had sounded like the mewing of a kitten, quieted at last.

"Sarah." She whispered the name as she looked into the milky blue eyes. "Your name is Sarah." It hadn't been the name of that first little girl, the one who lay buried beside her father behind the little church in the village, but she had always loved the name.

Sarah found her mother's breast and began to nurse hungrily. Worn by care and grief and exhausted from the delivery, the brave woman held the warm bundle and for the first time since that tragic day no longer felt utterly alone.


	3. Thomas

Sarah was five years old the first time she saw him. He was a very young man with short light brown hair parted on one side and clear blue eyes, just like her own. He wore a black doublet with silver stripes over the shoulder and down the front and a high lacy collar. He stared intently at her, not quite smiling.

"Who are you?" asked Sarah. She wasn't afraid at all but was merely curious. It wasn't often at all that a strange man suddenly appeared in the small garden in front of her cottage.

"My name is Thomas." He took a step in her direction. She still wasn't afraid.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I have something important to tell you." He continued to look her steadily in the eye. "I'm your papa, Sarah."

"But I don't _have _a papa." Her eyes narrowed. "And anyway, how did you know my name?"

"Because I'm no longer of this world, but of that beyond. I'll prove it." He stepped right through a tree's trunk, de-materializing on the far side and almost instantly re-materializing on the near.

Sarah tried to do as he had just done and promptly fell unceremoniously on her behind, hard. The tree didn't budge.

"You see?" He laughed softly as he helped her back up. His hands felt just like any normal human hands.

"Why did you come?" she persisted.

"I came to make right wrongs I committed while still alive," he replied. "You see, Sarah, when I was still of this world, I did some pretty bad things. I hurt some people, including your mama and her husband."

"But my mama doesn't _have _a husband."

"No, she doesn't. Not anymore. Because I killed him."

Sarah gasped and began to back away. She was starting to feel just a little bit afraid.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Sarah."

She stared at him with wide eyes. "Why did you kill my mama's husband?"

"He was going to send the sheriff after me because of a bad thing I did to your mama. But it didn't stop there. If it had, I would still be alive. But I became overly confident and over stepped my boundaries. I took something that belonged to the King, something that was his alone, not to be shared. As a result, he had me executed."

"Because of the bad things I had done, I wasn't allowed into heaven. I was condemned to roam the earth until I could make right the wrongs I had committed while still alive."

"But didn't you tell God you were sorry?"

"Of course I did. But it wasn't enough. I must also make restitution."

"What's resti...resti..."

"Restitution. That means that now I have to do good things to make up for the bad things I did before." He lightly touched Sarah's flaming red hair. "You have beautiful hair, Sarah."

"It's just like my mama's. Hers is the same color as mine."

"I know. I remember," he said softly. "Listen, Sarah, I'm really sorry for what I did to your mama. You can even tell her that, if you want."

"But why did you hurt her, Thomas?"

"I have no excuse. I was frustrated, and I took it out on her."

"My mama's a nice lady. You shouldn't have done that."

"I know I shouldn't have. Of all the bad things I've done, that's probably the one I regret most of all."

"But what did you do that hurt her?"

"If I tried to explain it to you now, you wouldn't understand. You'll understand it when you're a little older."

Sarah thought of something. "You said you were my papa. How did you get to be my papa?"

Thomas stared at the ground. "Because of the bad thing I did to your mama." His voice was so low that Sarah barely heard him. She began to feel frightened again.

"I don't think you're a very nice man."

"You're right. I wasn't a very nice man at all."

All of a sudden Sarah had to get away from him. She turned and ran back to the house as fast as she could, imagining arms reaching out to grab her, to hold her still so that he could...

When she reached the door she flung it open and ran inside without looking back.


	4. School

"You look as if you just saw a ghost," Sarah's mother told her.

Sarah just stared at her with round eyes.

"What happened, sweetheart?"

"Mama, do you remember a man named Thomas?"

Sarah's mother frowned. "Why, I've known several men named Thomas. It's a very common name."

"This Thomas has short brown hair and blue eyes just like mine."

Sarah's mother paled and sank into a chair. How could this be? He was dead now. She had watched him die herself.

"He said he was from the world beyond. He walked through a tree without falling down," Sarah continued.

"Now, Sarah, remember how we talked about the difference between real and make believe?"

"He was real, Mama. I saw him. Honest, I did."

"Is he still there?"

"I don't know. I don't want to go back out there. I'm scared!"

"Did he hurt you, Sarah?"

"No, but he scared me. He said that he's my papa and that he did something bad to you."

Sarah's mother picked the little girl up and held her tightly. She knew that her daughter had a very active imagination, but she also knew that there was no way Sarah could have made all of that up. Sarah's mother was a practical woman who had never believed in ghosts. Yet what other explanation could there be?

* * *

Sarah didn't see Thomas again for a long time after that, so long that she almost forgot about him. Almost, but not quite.

The following year Sarah started school in the little village schoolhouse. At recess she talked to a little girl named Letitia.

"My papa is a forest ranger," Letitia told Sarah. "What does your papa do?"

"I don't have a papa," Sarah told her.

"Is he in heaven, then?"

"No. I don't know where he is."

"You must be a bastard, then," Letitia said.

Several nearby children overheard the conversation and joined hands, forming a ring around Sarah.

"Bastard! Bastard! Bastard!" they sang merrily, dancing around Sarah as if they were playing ring-around-the-rosy.

"Leave me alone!" Sarah burst into tears and tried to break through the ring. The teacher arrived and scolded the children who had been teasing Sarah, but the damage had already been done. Sarah wasn't able to hold her head up for the rest of that day.

Thomas was waiting when Sarah returned home from school later.

"I take it your first day of school didn't go very well," he said quietly.

"I told them that I didn't know where you were and they laughed at me and called me a bastard. What's a bastard, Thomas?"

"That simply means that your papa was never married to your mama, but it isn't anything to feel bad about, as it isn't your fault at all. It's mine." Thomas looked so sad that Sarah almost felt sorry for him.

"But you couldn't have married my mama if she was already married," she said.

"When you're a bit older, you'll understand it all," Thomas said softly. "I just hope that when you do, you won't hate me too much. Don't worry about school, Sarah. I promise, tomorrow will be different."

From the window, Sarah's mother watched her daughter and Thomas together, and any doubts she had about the existence of ghosts quickly evaporated and were replaced by a very natural motherly concern. Surely he wouldn't assault a child Sarah's age...She started to go outside and confront him, but before she could open the door, he was gone.

The next day, Thomas visited Sarah's school at recess. Realizing how rare the sight of an adult other than the teacher was at school, the children clamored eagerly around him.

"I'm Sarah's papa," he told them, and then began regaling them with stories of his former life as a courtier and Gentleman of the Bedchamber to King Henry VIII. The children were so fascinated that they protested having to return to the schoolhouse, until Thomas quietly disappeared himself, as was his way.

All the children were very nice to Sarah for the rest of the day.

"Thomas came to my school today," Sarah told her mother that afternoon. "Is he truly my papa?"

"Yes," Sarah's mother told her.

"That's why his eyes look just like mine."

Sarah's mother nodded. The situation momentarily forgotten, Sarah happily skipped away to play, as her mother watched her go with a heavy sigh.

She had thought that it was all over. How wrong she had been.


	5. Picking Flowers

Six more years passed. King Henry VIII died, and the new King, Edward VI, was very young, not much older than Sarah herself.

One day Sarah's mother was hanging clothes out to dry when she saw Thomas leaning casually against a tree trunk. She gasped in shock and dropped the garment she had been holding. Thomas laughed gently and bent to pick it up. Instinctively she scurried away from him.

"I promise, I'm not even going to touch you this time." Thomas smiled, held up both hands, and backed away from her.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"First of all, I want to offer you my humblest apologies for the grievous wrongs I committed against yourself and your husband while I was still alive."

"It's a little late for that," she said stiffly.

"I realize that," he said. "If it's any consolation, I have suffered greatly for the wrongs I committed in life. I have been condemned to wander the surface of the earth endlessly until I have atoned for them."

"Don't expect any sympathy from me," she told him.

"Oh, no, I wouldn't," he said quickly. "But I would like to discuss our daughter with you."

"What gives you the right to call yourself her father?"

"Nothing, perhaps. But I am concerned about her future."

She gave a sharp laugh. "What kind of future does a peasant child such as Sarah have to look forward to?"

"Suppose I could obtain a position in court for her?" he suggested.

Sarah's mother glared at him. "Leave my property right away!" she demanded.

"Certainly. But please think about it, all right? For Sarah's sake."

He vanished, and she was left wondering whether she was losing her mind and beginning to hallucinate.

* * *

He appeared to Sarah not long after that. She had grown a lot taller and was beginning to develop the body of a woman. Her eyes narrowed when she saw him.

"Hello, Sarah," he said quietly.

She continued to stare without saying a word.

"You understand now." She nodded.

"I've spoken to your mother and told her how sorry I am for what I did to her and all the pain I caused her."

"As if that would make it all right," Sarah said coldly.

"I know that nothing can ever make it all right," Thomas conceded. "Look, Sarah, I know that I could never really be a proper father to you, but I do want to help you all I can, and your mother as well."

"What's in it for you?" she asked.

"A shortening of my sentence, and the satisfaction that I've done everything within my power to undo the wrong I've done."

"Why should I care anything about that?"

"Perhaps you shouldn't, but I _do _genuinely care for you, Sarah."

"Why?"

"Because you're my daughter. Listen, Sarah, suppose I show you a place where you can pick some beautiful flowers for your mother?"

She looked surprised.

"I know of a wonderful garden not too far from here. Let me take you there. You'll see."

Despite her misgivings, Sarah followed Thomas. True to his word, the garden he led her to contained the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen. Before she realized it, she was busily collecting them, placing them in the basket Thomas had given her.

"Why are you picking our flowers?"

Sarah turned to see two boys and a girl watching her. They looked about the same age, several years older than Sarah. They were all dressed much more nicely than she was, as if they were members of court. The girl and one of the boys had dark brown hair and brown eyes, and the other boy had light brown hair and blue eyes.

"I'm very sorry," Sarah said, dropping a deep curtsy. "I had no idea they were your flowers. My...friend told me that it would be all right for me to pick them for my mother."

The dark-haired boy, who had spoken, gave her a friendly smile. "Don't be afraid. I'm not angry. My garden has plenty of flowers. You may take as many as you want."

"Thank you very much, kind sir." Sarah smiled back at him. "My name is Sarah."

"It's nice to meet you, Sarah. I'm Edward, and this is my cousin Lady Jane Grey and my friend Barnaby Fitzpatrick."


	6. Edward And Barnaby

To her amazement, Sarah suddenly realized that she was in the presence of the King of England. "Your Majesty!" she cried, prostrating herself before him.

Edward laughed as he helped her up. "Please, just call me Edward, as my friends do."

Still too stunned to say anything more, Sarah swiftly looked around herself. The King's garden was huge; it extended for as far out as she could see on several sides. She saw that the other side bordered a palace.

Another young couple strolled nearby. They looked to be several years older than Edward, Barnaby, and Jane, and they were obviously very taken with one another. The young woman had very fair skin, red hair, and brown eyes. The young man had darker skin, dark brown hair, and brown eyes. They both saw Sarah at about the same time and looked at her curiously, undoubtedly wondering what a peasant girl was doing in the royal gardens.

"This is Sarah," Edward told them. "This is my sister Elizabeth and our friend Robin Dudley," he told Sarah.

"How do you do?" Sarah curtsied deeply to them.

"Is your father a groundskeeper?" Elizabeth asked Sarah.

Sarah hung her head. "I don't have a father. I'm a bastard." Her voice was almost a whisper. After a long time she looked up, expecting her new acquaintances to have immediately walked away and left her alone. To her surprise, all five of them remained, still silently watching her.

"And what of your mother?" Edward asked.

"She works our farm and takes in sewing." Although Sarah had never really felt ashamed of her mother's lowly status, she was acutely aware of how it must sound to the King of England and his family and peers.

"Do you have any brothers and sisters?" asked Barnaby.

"No, there's just me," Sarah told him.

Barnaby smiled. "When we were younger, I was Edward's whipping boy."

Sarah was puzzled.

"You see, Edward became King when he was only nine years old," Barnaby explained. "Since he was the King, he couldn't be whipped, so whenever he was naughty, I was whipped instead."

Sarah gasped, horrified. "Why, that sounds terrible, to be whipped for someone else's naughtiness!"

Edward laughed. "Barnaby always considered it to be the highest of honors."

Robin whispered something to Elizabeth, and the two of them moved on.

"Robin loves my sister, but his father, the Duke of Northumberland, has arranged for him to marry an heiress named Amy Robsart," Edward told Sarah.

"That's a shame," Sarah said. "He should be able to marry whomever he wants."

"I agree," Edward said.

"But can't you intervene on their behalf?" asked Sarah.

Edward sighed deeply. "The Duke is very powerful, and also very determined. He's used to getting his own way about things. He pressured me into having my Uncle Edward and my Uncle Thomas sentenced to death so that he could have their positions."

"That's terrible!" Sarah gasped. "Your own uncles!"

Edward nodded grimly. "I've been deeply grieved over it ever since," he said bitterly. Suddenly he was convulsed with a coughing spell. Sarah's eyes widened with alarm.

"Elizabeth is very concerned for my health," Edward went on. "If anything should happen to me, our much older sister Mary would claim the throne and restore Catholicism to England."

"I don't really understand the differences between the religions," Sarah said. "My mother says that the most important thing is to love God and treat people kindly."

"She's right," Edward said. "Those are the basic beliefs of Protestantism. The Catholics, on the other hand, dwell in ignorance, superstition, and fear, teaching, for example, that the communion wine and wafer are literally transformed into the body and blood of Christ." Edward became more and more impassioned as he spoke, so much so, in fact, that Sarah became a little bit frightened.

"But that makes no sense," she said. "How could wine become blood, or bread become flesh?"

"Exactly." Edward smiled. "Yet that is what the Catholics would force everyone to believe."

"Then why is your sister Mary one of them?"

"Because of her mother, I suppose. How old are you, Sarah?"

"Twelve years."

Edward looked thoughtful. "Then you're old enough, although just barely. Do you speak any languages other than English?"

"No."

Edward looked disappointed. "Do you have any artistic talent? Can you write poetry or sing?"

"I love to do both."

Edward looked excited. "Can you do needlework or embroidery?"

"My mother has taught me all she knows, which is quite a bit."

"I think you'll work out just fine, then." Edward looked very happy. "You seem very intelligent and mature for your age. When we return to Whitehall from Hampton Court, I'd love for you to join my court as a lady in waiting. If you'd like, that is, and if your mother approves."

"Oh, that sounds exciting!" Sarah clapped joyfully. "But what would become of my mother were I to leave her alone?"

"Perhaps I could find a position for her as well."

"Oh, thank you!" Sarah almost embraced Edward, then remembered who he was just in time. He laughed indulgently.

Sarah visited with her new friends for awhile until she saw that it was getting darker and mentioned that she needed to start for home soon or her mother would be worried.

"Where do you live?" asked Barnaby. She told him.

"I know where that is!" he exclaimed. "May I escort you home?"

"Why, certainly!" Sarah wasn't at all sure of the way back home herself and was terrified of getting lost in the dark.

"Thank you. I'm honored." Barnaby bowed deeply to her. Sarah was both awestruck and deeply touched.

"Shall we proceed then, my lady?" Barnaby took Sarah's arm, and they said good-bye to the others and were on their way.


	7. Arriving At Court

Sarah's mother gasped as she saw her daughter arriving home with a young man who was obviously of very high social standing. Bewildered, she went to the door to let them in.

"Mama, this is Barnaby Fitzpatrick. He's the King's whipping boy," Sarah said by way of introduction.

Sarah's mother's mouth fell open in shock.

"Pleased to meet you, madam," Barnaby said, bowing deeply.

"Won't you please come in," Sarah's mother said, when she had finally found her voice again.

"Oh, I can't stay," Barnaby said apologetically. "I only came along because Sarah wasn't sure of the way back and I was concerned for her safety."

"I picked you some lovely flowers, Mama," Sarah said, handing her the basket.

"They are indeed beautiful," her mother agreed. "Where did you get them?"

"The King's garden. Thomas took me there. I met the King and he's very nice. He offered me a position at court and said that he would try to find one for you as well."

* * *

"Next time you'll believe me, won't you?"

Sarah's mother looked up from churning butter to see Thomas casually lounging against a tree, grinning at her.

"How on earth did you get her there? Surely there are guards..."

"I have my ways," he replied smugly. "You remember, I was a courtier myself when alive. Incidentally, I never did learn your name."

"It's Mabel," she said softly, almost without thinking. "Mabel Wyse."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," he said, a bit flippantly. She glared at him.

"I apologize. I assure you, I meant no disrespect," he told her.

"You high and mighty people have always thought that you could treat us poor country folk just as you please with no regards whatsoever for our feelings," she complained.

"Death is a very equalizing factor," he said soberly. "The Almighty is in no way whatsoever swayed by titles or standing or even wealth. They mean nothing at all in the afterlife."

"What of my poor husband, whom you murdered?"

"He is enjoying his heavenly reward, which he so richly deserved."

"My Andrew." Suddenly she was crying softly. He had been so kind, so gentle, so loving. An honest, hard worker, poor but diligent, not ashamed of his low status but determined to make the best of his situation. She still missed him sorely, even after all these years.

"I so deeply regret having been the cause of your grief," Thomas said softly. "I hope that you can take comfort in the knowledge that he has been reunited with the daughter you had together, and that they are happy."

"How did you know about her?" Mabel demanded.

"You told me, remember?" Thomas said mildly. "And besides, I saw them."

* * *

Sarah was very nervous but also very happy as she arrived at Whitehall Palace with her mother. True to his word, Edward had found a position at court for Mabel as well. Sarah looked forward to seeing Edward and Barnaby and the others again and hoped that they would be pleased to see her again as well.

As Sarah was ushered in, she saw two other girls who both looked to be just about her own age who had arrived at just about the same time. One girl had red hair and the other had dark brown hair. Both girls had brown eyes. They looked at Sarah and giggled. Sarah's eyes narrowed as she gazed right back at them.

"I'm Lettice Knollys, and this is Katherine Dudley," the red-haired girl told Sarah.

"My name is Sarah."

"Lettice is fond of my brother Robin, but he's betrothed to Amy Robsart," Katherine added.

"Don't you think Robin is very good-looking?" asked Lettice. Both girls giggled again.

"Why, I suppose he is..." Sarah secretly thought that Edward was better looking than Robin, besides being much closer to her own age.

"Katherine is betrothed herself, to Henry Hastings," Lettice told Sarah. Sarah thought that Katherine looked awfully young to already be betrothed.

"My grandmother was Mary Boleyn, and my grandfather was King Henry VIII himself, so my mother is both Lady Elizabeth's first cousin and her half sister," Lettice bragged.

"My father is the Duke of Northumberland," Katherine added. Both girls looked at Sarah expectantly.

Sarah's mouth went dry and her pulse quickened. What could she say to these girls? Surely they would laugh scornfully if she told them the truth about her background.

"I'm distantly related to the King," she heard herself say. Lettice and Katherine both looked duly impressed.

"Are you one of the Beauforts?" asked Lettice.

"Yes! That's what I am - one of the Beauforts." Relief flooded through Sarah. She had no idea who the Beauforts were, but if it would help her to fit in with Lettice and Katherine and the other girls she would be meeting soon, she would be one of them.

"I'm an orphan," she continued. "Both my parents died of the sweating sickness."

_Oh, Mama, please forgive me, _she silently begged her mother, as an unexpected stab of guilt went through her.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Katherine told her.

"It's so very kind of the King to take you in," Lettice commented.

"Yes, it's very kind of him indeed," Sarah quickly agreed. There was no time to say anything more because it was time for the girls to greet the King.


	8. A Surprise Encounter

"Sarah! It's lovely to see you again." Edward smiled and kissed Sarah's hand.

"Thank you, Edward. It's lovely to see you again as well."

"I trust that your mother is well?"

"She's fine, thank you."

"How do you like the court so far?"

"Oh, it's fascinating! There are so many interesting people to meet. I was wondering, who are the Beauforts?"

"Descendants of John of Gaunt. Margaret Beaufort was my great grandmother. Who told you about the Beauforts?"

"Lettice Knollys."

"Lettice Knollys." Edward looked highly amused at the mentioning of the name. "My sister Elizabeth can't stand her."

"Why not?"

"Robin Dudley." Edward laughed and shook his head. "Some girls your age are so silly, but you seem different, Sarah. You don't seem silly at all."

"Thank you." Feeling awkward, Sarah blushed. "I know I'm a bastard, but please don't think any less of my mother because of that. She didn't give herself willingly. She was forced."

"My God, the poor woman!" Edward looked both shocked and saddened. "Of course I don't think any less of her, Sarah. I wouldn't have in any case, but that's very noble of you to speak in her defense."

"Thank you very much. You're so kind."

"Think nothing of it," Edward said modestly.

"What of your new chambers? Are they satisfactory?"

"They're fine, thank you."

"Please let me know if you have need of anything more, and I shall make sure that it's provided."

"I shall, and thank you very much, Edward."

Edward smiled pleasantly at her in dismissal, and Sarah joined the other girls, who were learning a new dance.

* * *

For Mabel, what had transpired had seemed nothing short of a story right out of a fairy tale. She had been born to poor but honest and hard-working country folk, and had known nothing but hard work, struggle, loss, and heartache her entire life. To suddenly find herself transported into an existence of comfort and ease in which she never had to worry about whether or not there would be enough food for the next day seemed truly beyond her wildest dreams.

One day she was going about her normal business when she noticed a tall man with blond hair looking at her. He was very nice looking and was smiling.

"Excuse me," he said. "I was just wondering whether someone could tell me whose job it is to repair the courtiers' clothing. I recently had the shirt I am wearing now repaired."

"That would be myself, sir," Mabel said meekly. "Is the repair not to your liking? If so, I'd be happy to do it over for you."

"On the contrary, I'm exceptionally pleased with the repair work. It's a very professional job, so much so, in fact, that I wanted to thank you in person."

"Why, you're very welcome, Sir..."

"Sir George Howard, Master of the Armoury. And you are..."

"Mabel Wyse. It's lovely to meet you, Sir George."

"Please, simply George is fine." He kissed her proffered hand. "May I have the honor of walking with you?"

"Why, certainly!" They left the palace and went for a stroll in the garden.

"Are you married, madame?" asked George.

"I'm a widow," Mabel told him. "My husband was...murdered thirteen years ago."

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that."

"What of yourself? Are you married?"

"Oh, no." He smiled. "I've learned from the experiences of others that it pays to be cautious in that regard. My poor sister..." His voice trailed off, and his eyes held a faraway look.

"What of her?" Mabel didn't mean to sound rude, but she felt that she just _had _to know."

"Her name was Katherine," George began. "She was beautiful, and she caught the eye of King Henry VIII. She didn't want to marry him. He was much older than her, and obese. Our uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, forced her to. Poor thing. All she wanted was to be loved by someone whom she could love in return. She met a courtier named Thomas Culpepper and fell in love with him. The King found out and had them both executed."

"Thomas Culpepper?" All the color drained from Mabel's face, and she suddenly felt as if she were too weak to stand.

"Madame, are you all right?" George's voice was full of concern as he reached to steady her.


	9. A Picnic And A Wedding

"I'm all right." Mabel smiled bravely. "I just felt a bit weak for a moment, is all."

"Shall we return to the Palace?" asked George.

"That's all right. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I'm so very sorry to hear of what happened to your sister, George."

"Something troubles you yet, I can tell." George frowned with concern. "Have I said something to upset you?"

"It's simply that the man you mentioned...Thomas Culpepper..." Mabel took a deep breath. "He murdered my husband...and raped me."

"No!" Now it was George's turn to be shocked. "I had no idea..."

Mabel nodded miserably.

"Why, you poor dear!" George reached to embrace her, and she allowed him to. "I...I don't quite know what to say, except that I'm truly very sorry for the misfortunes that have befallen you."

"Thomas Culpepper is my daughter's father," Mabel continued. "She was conceived as a result of the rape. Her name is Sarah, and she's one of the King's ladies in waiting."

* * *

"Sarah." Sarah looked up from the handkerchief she had been embroidering to see Edward's smiling face. "Would you care to join my friends and myself for a picnic?"

"Why, I'd be honored!"

Edward laughed indulgently at the speed with which Sarah jumped to her feet. He took her hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do and led her out into the garden, where she saw Robin, Elizabeth, Barnaby, and Lady Jane Grey waiting. She was pleased to see that she had apparently been the only one of the younger girls invited.

"You look as if you're bursting at the seams to say something," Edward told his sister with a smile.

"Oh, I am!" Elizabeth enthused. "I have glorious news! Amy Robsart's father has had a change of heart and decided to betroth Amy to John Seymour, so now Robin and I can be wed!" She hugged Robin enthusiastically, and he grinned complacently.

"Boy, is Lettice Knollys going to be jealous!" Sarah didn't even realize that she had spoken out loud until the words were already out of her mouth. She blushed furiously, and the others chuckled. Edward winked at her.

"So, how does life at court suit you?" Barnaby asked Sarah.

"It suits me just fine, thank you," she told him. She noticed a glance exchanged between Barnaby and Edward and wondered what it meant.

"And how does your mother fare?"

"She's fine, thank you." It occurred to Sarah that a change seemed to have come over her mother recently. She seemed to sometimes be in another world, smiling to herself frequently, looking happy for no apparent reason. Sarah wondered whether she had found an engaging new pastime to occupy her thoughts.

* * *

The wedding of Robin and Elizabeth was a relatively small, intimate affair, attended mainly by Robin's rather large family and a few close friends and associates. Sarah recognized the Duke of Northumberland and his wife, and Robin's married sister Mary and her husband, Henry Sidney. Katherine Dudley was all smiles as she rushed over to Sarah.

"Lettice is absolutely _livid _with rage!" Katherine whispered into Sarah's ear before collapsing into a fit of giggles. Sarah thought that it was cruel of Katherine to laugh at another's unhappiness, but she didn't say anything.

"She's entirely too young to be married." Startled, Sarah looked to see who had spoken and saw a tall, slender boy with blond hair. He appeared to be about Edward's age, or perhaps a year or so older.

"Our father has betrothed her to Henry Hastings, but I think she's far too young. You've seen how she acts," the boy continued.

"Why, I don't believe she's any older than myself," Sarah said.

"Exactly." The boy smiled. "How would _you _feel if your father suddenly told you that you had to marry a boy you'd never even met?"

"I don't have a father, but I suppose that if I did and that were to happen, I wouldn't like it very much."

"I don't suppose you would." The boy chuckled.

"My name's Sarah." Sarah suddenly remembered her manners.

"It's nice to meet you, Sarah. I'm Guilford."

"It's very nice to meet you as well." Sarah smiled and shook Guilford's hand.

"Do you know Lady Jane Grey?" Guilford asked.

"I've met her a few times. Why do you ask?"

"Although we've never been introduced to one another, I've admired her from afar for ages." Guilford's voice sounded dreamy. "She's exactly the type of girl I'd like to marry someday, although of course I'd never agree to marry any woman who didn't desire it of her own free will."

Sarah glanced at Edward and saw that he looked unusually pale. As soon as the ceremony was over, she went to him and asked if he was all right.

"I feel rather odd, as if I might pass out," he told her. He nearly lost his balance several times on his way back into the Palace and to his bedchambers.

"Don't worry about me," he quickly assured Sarah when he saw the look on her face. "I'll be fine."

Sarah watched him disappear behind the curtains, then saw his personal physician enter right behind him. Shortly afterwards, the physician emerged with a look of deep concern on his face.

"He's burning up with fever," the physician said.


	10. The Fate Of England

"Oh, no!" The crowd gave a collective sharp gasp. Elizabeth looked to be near tears as her new husband tried to comfort her. Sarah felt as if her heart was in her throat. She noticed that the Duke of Northumberland looked more severely annoyed than truly worried about Edward. She decided that she hated him.

A pall hung over the palace for the rest of the day. Later the physician returned with an update on Edward's condition.

"He has both measles _and _smallpox," the physician said gloomily. "Either alone would be enough to kill him. He's in the hands of God now. We must pray for his recovery."

Sarah felt numb inside. She had never lost anyone close to her before. How did it feel when someone died? It must be the most horrible feeling in the world. Sarah shuddered to think about it. What would it be like if Edward's Catholic sister Mary took the throne? Would Sarah and her mother still be allowed to remain at court?

Elizabeth burst into sobs. Robin held her and patted her back. Out of the corner of her eye Sarah watched as the Duke of Northumberland strode purposefully away with a determined look in his eyes. She wondered where on earth he was going, what diabolical plan was about to be set into motion.

* * *

For many days Edward hovered between life and death. Sarah and the others went about their usual daily business with an acute sense of impending doom hovering over them. One day Sarah heard muffled sobs coming from behind a door. She opened the door and, to her surprise, saw Lady Jane Grey there, sobbing her heart out.

"Jane! What's wrong?" Sarah rushed to her friend's side in concern.

Jane glared at her. "Go away. You wouldn't understand," she said crossly.

"Perhaps I would. Try me," Sarah said gently.

"My life is over!" Jane burst into a fresh outpouring of tears.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"It's my mother! She's forcing me to marry the Duke's son, Guilford, and I don't want to! I hate him!"

"But why must you marry him?"

"Because...because..." Jane was crying so hard that she could barely talk. "If God calls the King home to heaven...he must be succeeded by a Protestant...I must become Queen and Guilford, King...but I don't want to be Queen...and I don't want to marry Guilford!"

"You won't have to marry him if you don't want to," Sarah said calmly.

"Why, of course I shall have to! She beat me until I gave in!"

Sarah gasped, horrified by Jane's words. She felt a rush of pity for the older girl.

"I know Guilford, Jane. I met him at Robin and Elizabeth's wedding. He told me that he has always admired you from afar but that he would never agree to marry you against your wishes."

"He _did?" _Jane stopped crying and gazed at the younger girl in amazement.

"He did, Jane. He seems such a nice boy. If you met him I think you'd like him."

"Perhaps I should," Jane said softly.

* * *

Sir George Howard and Mabel sat in the garden together, talking. It had become a habit for the two of them to do that when they both had a few spare moments during the day. George picked a pink flower and wove it into Mabel's hair. Mabel smiled modestly.

"The fate of England hangs in the balance," George said. "Everything depends upon whether or not the King recovers from his grave illness."

"If the King's sister Mary becomes Queen, I suppose that my daughter and I shall have to leave court, as it's only because of the King's good will that we are here at all."

George looked thoughtful. "If you marry a member of nobility, then you may stay," he said.

"I would never expect a member of nobility to marry me solely for that reason," said Mabel.

"But it _wouldn't _be solely for that reason." George's voice was suddenly warm and earnest as he took both Mabel's hands into his own. "I love you, Mabel Wyse. Will you marry me?"

* * *

One day Sarah approached the King's bedchambers. "I was wondering whether the King felt up to receiving visitors yet," she told the physician. "I haven't seen him in ever so long, and I thought that perhaps if he felt up to it, I could talk to him and perhaps cheer him up."

The physician frowned and shook his head. "The King has taken a turn for the worse. I have summoned the vicar, and he's on his way to administer last rites."


	11. Another Wedding

Sarah watched the vicar arrive with a heavy heart. She knew that he wouldn't have been summoned unless the situation were truly hopeless. She watched him disappear behind the curtain, then watched him reappear barely a moment later with a look of astonishment on his face.

"The King is awake and is asking for something to drink," he announced.

"Thank God!" the physician exclaimed.

"I'll fetch him a drink of water," Sarah eagerly volunteered.

Sarah hardly recognized Edward when she saw him again for the first time since he had fallen ill. He looked very thin and pale, almost like a little boy. It broke Sarah's heart to see him like that.

"Sarah." Edward's voice sounded very weak as he smiled wanly. "It's lovely to see you again."

"I'm so glad to see that you're feeling better," Sarah told him as she helped him to sit up and drink the water. He drained the cup dry and asked for another. When he was finished he lay back and gave a sigh of contentment. Sarah hesitantly extended a timid hand to gently brush the damp hair back from his forehead. He opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"I'm going to make you a Queen one day," he told her.

* * *

The wedding of George and Mabel was a joyous affair. It took place in the garden of Whitehall Palace and was attended by George's family and friends, some acquaintances Mabel had made since arriving at court, and, of course, Sarah and her friends. Edward, who was still very weak, was helped outside to sit in a chair and watch the ceremony. Sarah stood beside him, holding his hand. Mabel glanced back at her daughter standing beside the King of England and her heart thrilled with joy.

That night George smiled gently at her as he came to her in their bedchambers.

"We don't have to right away, you know," he told her. "I know that the last experience you had was very painful and traumatic for you."

"Oh, but I _want _to, George." Mabel felt a desire burning inside her, one that she had thought she'd never feel again after the loss of her beloved Andrew. She reached for George, and he came to her. She embraced him, and he held her tightly.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"I'm sure," she told him.

Remembering what she had suffered at the hands of Thomas Culpepper all those years ago, George was very slow and gentle, and Mabel melted at his touch.

"I never imagined it could be so good," she said to him afterwards as she lay in his arms sobbing quietly. He stroked her hair and planted a trail of kisses along her forehead.

* * *

It was a joy to Sarah to introduce Lady Jane Grey to Guilford Dudley after her mother's wedding.

"How do you do," Jane said shyly, blushing slightly.

"I've been wanting to meet you for ages." Guilford grinned as he shook her hand. "Would you like to go for a walk in the garden with me?"

"That sounds lovely." Jane smiled back at him as he took her arm and led her away. Sarah smiled as she watched them walk away. She thought that they made a very nice couple.

"I wish that I could take you for a walk in the garden as well," Edward said apologetically to Sarah.

"That's all right," Sarah told him. "There will be plenty of chances to go for walks when you're stronger."

* * *

"You seem such a gentleman," Jane said to Guilford as they walked along.

"You sound surprised." Guilford chuckled. "Did you imagine that I would turn out to be horrid?"

"I must admit that I wasn't truly keen on meeting you at first," Jane confessed. "I was very unhappy when my mother told me that I must marry you."

"I don't blame you one bit." Guilford smiled gently. "No one should be forced to marry against their will."

"Someone should tell my mother that." Jane rolled her eyes.

"My father as well," Guilford added. They both laughed. "Come, let me show you my favorite part of the garden."


	12. Epilogue

"You're almost there! Give me one more big push!" said the midwife. Sarah took a deep breath and pushed with all her might. Groaning with effort, she at last felt the infant slide from her body. Everything was perfectly silent for just a moment, and then the air was filled with the lusty wails of the newborn.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! You have a beautiful baby girl!" the midwife exclaimed. Sarah, sweat streaming down her face, laughed with pure joy. She knew that her husband, King Edward VI, would be proud of her and thrilled with their new daughter.

"Darling!" Suddenly Edward was there, all smiles, stroking his wife's damp hair. Sarah smiled and looked lovingly into his eyes.

"She's beautiful." Edward tenderly kissed Sarah's cheek. "Her name shall be Elizabeth, for my dear sister." Baby Elizabeth was wrapped in a blanket and placed in her mother's arms, where she settled down happily to nurse.

Robin and Elizabeth Dudley were still happily married, and now had two darling little girls of their own. Edward had given them an estate near the palace. Guilford and Jane Dudley also lived in an estate near the palace, and were the parents of a small girl. Jane was with child again, and was due to give birth in several months.

"Andrew will be pleased. He's been so excited about becoming an uncle," Sarah said. Andrew was the four-year-old son of George and Mabel Howard. He had blond hair and blue eyes like his father, and he and his parents still lived at court.

"I shall call for both he and your mother to visit you as soon as you feel up to it," Edward promised her. "Rest now. You've done well."

Sarah closed her eyes and smiled contentedly, cuddling her new daughter close. All her dreams had come true. She couldn't imagine life being any better than this.

Later in the day Mabel did indeed come to visit her daughter, bringing her small son with her. Mabel's eyes shone with joy as she held her new granddaughter and gazed into the infant's smoky blue eyes. She couldn't help but contrast Elizabeth's birth with that of Sarah all those years ago. One birth had been secret and shrouded in shame, a frightened young woman delivering the product of an act of violence all alone. The other had taken place in the utmost luxury and glory England afforded, and would be celebrated by many.

"Look at your little niece, Andrew," Mabel said to her young son. Andrew's eyes grew big and round as he looked at the baby.

"She's so tiny!" His voice was almost a whisper.

"You were as well, right after you were born," his mother told him. He shook his head in disbelief.

"Indeed you were." His mother tickled him, and he giggled.

Thomas came to visit shortly afterward. Sarah gasped in surprise, as she hadn't seen him since the age of twelve. He looked exactly the same as he always had.

"I won't stay for long," he said apologetically. "I just wanted to see my new granddaughter."

He looked at baby Elizabeth sleeping in her mother's arms and smiled proudly. Sarah realized that if it hadn't been for him, she never would have have met Edward, and her mother would have never met George. They would both still be living in poverty, with no hope of any better kind of life.

"My granddaughter, and also that of the man who sentenced me to die," Thomas observed. Sarah nodded, not knowing what to say.

"I must depart," Thomas said.

"Will I ever see you again?" asked Sarah.

"Not in this life," Thomas told her. "I've completed my penance and am no longer condemned to roam the earth. My heavenly reward shall at last be mine."

Sarah felt a bit sad without realizing why.

"I'm sorry I was never able to be a proper father to you," Thomas continued. "I hope that your future life will in some way compensate for that loss."

"I'm very happy with the life I have now and feel in no way deprived," Sarah assured him.

"I'm glad to hear it," Thomas replied. "Take good care."

"You do the same," Sarah said. She blinked, and he was gone.


End file.
